Elon Musk’s crazy Hyperloop idea is about to become reality

A test track for Elon Musk’s Hyperloop project—which is designed to ferry passengers between major cities at record speeds—will reportedly be under construction in the next two or three weeks.

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, a company among those putting a prototype together, has said it plans to build the test track, according to Tech Insider.

Here’s how it will work, according to the publication:

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies will essentially be building large elevated tubes filled with vacuums and magnets, as well as computer-automated “capsules” that can achieve speeds up to 760 miles per hour — pretty close to the speed of sound. That said, the capsules will only travel that fast when they’re empty; the company says it will transport passengers at speeds up to 160 miles per hour.

Bibop Gabriele Gresta, the chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, said the prototype will be built in Quay Valley in California. It will cover five miles and could take 32 months to complete, he added in an interview with Dezeen, a design magazine. He estimates the track could cost $150 million to build.

“You can substitute the entire flight industry from Los Angeles to San Francisco with one tube, four times,” Gresta said in the magazine interview. “Now if this will not disrupt the air industry I don’t know what will.”